The Untold Stories of Our Times
by weregonnafindit525
Summary: Apart from the deleted scenes we get to see, Truly and Taiyu still have a lot of untold stories, like... when Taiyu finds out about the existence of prom when he goes to the US! Or... how Truly felt when she found Taiyu on Facebook 20 years later...
1. 1 Her

My name is Taiyu Hsu, music business major at NYU. In high school, I was someone people in Taiwan would call a "gangster," but here in America, they'd call me a pitiful douche. Hah. I guess the hardest part about music business is the part where you actually have to learn about music. I'm happy with managing concerts and booking appointments for artists, and even finance, but when it comes to the music itself, I'm clueless. Those jazz theory classes... God damn. I went in there without any idea about music, except that one day I wanted to work for Andy Lau, and finally fulfill that promise I made all those years ago.

"One day, I'll ask Andy Lau to sing for you," I'd told her.

She'd smirked.

"Yeah, right."

And after leaving her so suddenly then, I'm sure she has no idea how desperately I want to be able to hold her again, to poke fun at her ugly duckling beginnings but still watch her beauty from the corner of me eye. What I'd give to see her face again... And plane tickets don't come by like the fights I used to start in high school. And what makes me think she would even want to see my face again? I was upset, and made the worst decision of my life by not saying a proper goodbye.

Gan! I was such an idiot.

That's one of many things I would like to change about our times... Off the top of my head I can think of these:

 _1\. When we went camping._

I give those days credit for being some of my happiest ones since before Siyuan passed away. But my heart sank when she picked Ouyang's key, and although Minmin picked mine, the thought of Truly's arms encircling my waist set my heart on a full marathon. I wanted to ask her if she was tired when she put her cheek against my back, to slide her hands into my pockets to keep them warm.

But all that was out of my control. It was draw of the lot, and she even congratulated me on choosing the one I'd always wanted. Come to think of it, she wasn't very proud that she'd picked Ouyang, either...

One thing was in my control, though. If only, as we'd been dancing to Grasshopper's "Shi Lian," I'd grabbed her hand instead of Minmin's. It wasn't as if we were confined to our scooter partners, was it? I remembered clearly her eyelashes grazing her bangs as our eyes met. She raised her eyebrows suggestively in the direction of Minmin before I could reach out for her, and before I had time to think, Ouyang had approached her and they were dancing. Minmin peeked at me shyly, so I flashed her a smile and offered my hand, willing myself not to turn my head just for a glance at... her.

The way it should have worked out, I think now, is this: The moment would pass in slow motion as she began to raise her eyebrows, and I would take both her hands in mine and pull her up, resuming time in its normal pacing. But then time would speed up, fast enough for me to hold her close to my chest without anyone but me noticing. And we'd continue the dance, moving our hips to the comical lyrics and wondering where the music came from. Our hearts, maybe?

I wonder if that would have changed anything, that one thing I wasn't fast enough to do.

 _2\. That time at McDonald's._

I told Ouyang she didn't seem very happy that day, that all I'd said was, "What? Study."

"Minmin Tao, don't worry about it. I've got all the help I need," I should have said.

I would have looked straight at her, standing behind Minmin, and smiled. Minmin would have turned around and blushed, and quickly left for her fellow smartass friend. and Truly would have sat down and smiled at our food.

"What?" I would say, lightening the mood. "Why'd you buy large fries instead of two mediums?"

"They were on sale!"

"That doesn't even make sense. What kind of businessperson is running things around here? Of course you would make the set meal the best deal!"

"Okay, okay. Let's study."

I would have let her have that line, rather than say it myself to seem as if I didn't care. And at that time she did think I didn't care, but... Oh, I cared so, so much.

 _3\. Every time we grabbed each others' wrists._

Why didn't I, one of those times, interlace our fingers? We were always running away from trouble like Bonnie and Clyde, so the least I could do was stop running away from my feelings.

The best time would have been when we ran away from that shop with the Andy Lau cardboard cutout. We were both laughing so joyously. She wouldn't even have noticed... right? I'd often looked at her hands as I taught her math. They looked as if they'd fit perfectly in mine, hands rough from a past I now regret. I would have stood close to her and massaged the soft area between her thumb and index finger, and continued looking at her from the corner of my eye. Would anything had changed, then?

 _4\. Her birthday._

I was already out of the hospital that day, and Minmin had already confessed to me, but I was still a coward and sent my friends to deliver her birthday present. Afterwards, I'd imagined her disappointment when the toe of the Converse shoe turned out to be Sakuraki's, over and over and over again. And I hadn't even left for the U.S. yet. I even went to find Minmin the following day.

Idiot!

How was she supposed to know you were sincere when you couldn't even face her?

Things would have been different if I had been behind that cutout, and jumped from behind with... I don't know, flowers? "Happy birthday!" I would have said. "Do you like it?" She would have asked me how I got my hands on it, and I would say, "It's a secret." And even if I hadn't the guts yet to tell her how I felt, at one point I had to tell her the truth. So I would tell her, "Minmin told me she likes me." And when she smiled but her eyes didn't show it, I would say, "Thank you, Truly. Looks like we did it." And when her eyes still glistened with tears that refused to fall, I would try: "Let's eat dinner tomorrow. In celebration." "J-j-j-just us?" she would ask. "How many justs?" I would joke. "One just." She would roll her red eyes at me. "If you want," I would reply at last. "I just thought you'd want to have your birthday dinner with all your friends."

And I don't know what her answer would have been, but one thing's for sure that being there for her made us a lot clearer on what our relationship was exactly. Not nearly as close as I wanted it to be, but an improvement from my previous foolishness.

 _5\. In the woods._

Another camping story. So much happened that weekend, yet not enough.

I'd set down the lamp and bent over to see her perfect face. Perfect eyes, perfect lips, perfect nose, perfect jaw. And in the end I just made fun of her height once more and took the firewood from her arms.

Taiyu, that was the perfect opportunity! To stare into her eyes and see if she felt the same way, and maybe even... Was I flirting or was I afraid? I'd kept my cool and quickly turned away to saunter off, but what would have happened if I'd stared a little longer? Surely I'd be a dead man, but what could have been...

I'd stare into her intense, somewhat bewildered gaze and breathe slowly, in hopes of calming the both of us down. And I'd lean forward until our foreheads touched, and depending on whether or not she backed away, I would, ideally, say her name, "Truly Lin, I..." And I would scoop up the firewood in my arms and kiss her... cheek! And turn around just as I did.

Maybe because of that we would have sat closer as we made our wishes that night.

 _6\. When she confronted me outside the office._

While girls have their secret code in which "I'm fine" means "I'm totally not fine," guys also have a code in which "Mind your own business" means "Talk to me after I'm not mad at myself anymore."

Who knew what the hell those guys wanted to fight me for? Still angry over that little skating incident? It hurt my masculinity, not being able to defend myself in front of them, but it would hurt even more to break my promise to Truly. But lapsing into old times, I was selfish and all I could think was, "It's this promise I made you that caused me to get hurt. I tried everything to get them to back off - talking my way out, offering money. But they wanted to beat me up, and even more, they wanted to hurt you... So I let them hit me and let you believe I fought back. Your fault, you see?"

Soon after, the time for my operation had come. I swear, all my dreams while knocked out were about her. Do you even dream when you're on anesthetics? Well, I did. And in every scene was her disappointment, heartbreak, and anger. The first time I knew she was capable of being angry was when she was angry with me. If I had a do-over, I would have removed all hostility. I would have thrown away my aggression and answered her honestly, like the Taiyu Hsu she knew.

"Why didn't you come take the mock exam? Why did you fight again?"

"I was stopped while doing something very important for someone very important," I should have said. "Please don't worry about me." I could have held her face in my hands. "For now, please leave me be because I'm going to try everything I can to make it up to you, to gain your trust again."

Then maybe I would have had a chance to bid her farewell face-to-face.

 _7\. On the roof._

Why did I keep lying to myself? I didn't belong with Minmin. The moment Truly pushed back her arm at me I just would have gotten closer. God, I'd said "Aqui Te Amo" on the tape and got together with Minmin literally the next day! What did that show her about me?

Up until that point I'd thought she only had eyes for Ouyang. And even when I did come to the realization that she didn't, I didn't do anything about it. After all, I was with Minmin now. If I had the chance to make up for the biggest of all mistakes, I wouldn't have let her leave alone. Using her own reasoning, telling me to go away meant for me to get closer, to hold her, and to get her somewhere dry. She would have cried and hit me and told me to go back to the roof, but I would have held our soaked bodies closer together, stupidly not trying to find a towel or anything. "Truly, don't listen to that tape," I would say. "I'll just tell you right now. Truly Lin, even though you're short, and stupid, the person I said I liked that was at the scene of that game... is still you. I couldn't bring myself to face you because..."

Would I have told her?

"My dad is sending me to America, for a new beginning. That fight... everyone thought I was the aggressor. I just wanted to keep my promise to you, but now..."

And in the middle she'd find a way to reason that my situation was somehow her fault. I wouldn't let that happen. I would say, "Listen to me. You taught me that A-Yuan's passing wasn't my fault. I'd gotten myself in that fight at the roller rink. How was I supposed to not expect retaliation? And I was the one that made you that promise. Me. Nobody forced me to. 不要想妳講的道理只有妳可以用。"

Maybe, if I'd said that, I wouldn't have broken her heart.


	2. 2 Afterparty

**I'M BACK ! Just a heads up for this following chapter, I'm bilingual (Mandarin + English), so a lot of the dialogue happens in my head in Chinese LOL but when I translate it into English, it sounds awkward. Like, a lot of exchanges in Chinese would never happen in English because English speakers don't talk that way... Haha so in order to keep the "mood" in check, I've written some dialogue in Chinese and put in English translations! Benefits for my bilingual friends :)**

* * *

 _"One day, I'll ask Andy Lau to sing for you."_

It wasn't the cushion-y seats or the VIP feel of the whole private dressing room that made Truly feel as if her life were finally complete. Rather, it was the smooth, angelic voice of Andy Lau that made her heart melt like chocolate on a sweltering Taiwanese afternoon. He sang to her "忘情水," and while she'd reminded herself constantly for the last 10 years to forget her first love, she didn't want to try anymore. Taiyu leaned against one wall, watching her dream come true.

Andy reached out his hand, and Truly grasped it with two shaking hands, standing up and assuming the slow dance position with her idol. For a woman nearing 30, she certainly didn't act it around Andy. They danced for a short while, until Andy stepped back and gestured for Taiyu to take his place. It was then that Truly realized she'd never actually danced with Taiyu. She'd danced with Ouyang while camping, and with her ex-boyfriend many times after they met in senior year of college. She'd nearly forgotten they'd broken up so recently! 忘情水 indeed...

Taiyu approached her and grinned that charming grin that only added to Truly's feeling of nostalgia and youth. It was the way he'd smiled at her when he tricked her in the skating rink, the way he looked up at her window after she'd hung up abruptly because of her parents. That kind of excitement - skipping school and sneaking out after curfew - was only such a big deal in high school, and Taiyu's smile brought it all back.

She locked her fingers together behind his neck as his hands found their way to her waist, untouched territory as he suddenly realized. It wasn't as if they hadn't been to college dances or anything, but something about this made them feel so vulnerable, so pure, as if this were the first time they'd ever danced with anyone. One could only say their love was still young, preserved in brine for the past twenty years and saved up for this moment in particular.

"So how have you been?" Taiyu whispered in Truly's ear with a smile. Since the moment she stood up for him at the assembly (and even before that, really), he knew she was destined for great things. She had the courage, and the passion, of someone who would always find a way. She didn't give up, strong willed even against his own immature behavior in high school.

"That's actually a funny story..." Truly smiled as she leaned her forehead on Taiyu's chest. She didn't want to look at his face just yet. "I've had the worst week ever."

Taiyu wrinkled his brow, out of Truly's view.

"Why? What happened?"

"First I get promoted at work, but then I overhear my subordinates talking about me behind my back... Then I broke up with my way too controlling boyfriend, which I guess is a good thing, really. And I quit my job."

He hoped she didn't feel him stiffen. Taiyu had learned through experience that recently broken up women were not to be touched until at least 6 months. At least, they wouldn't be willing to commit so soon. But he was getting ahead of himself. He couldn't be so childish to think that they'd both waited 10 years for the day they would finally become a couple.

"It's a funny story because I was suddenly reminded of our senior year in high school, after hearing one of Andy Lau's songs. I don't know why, I just suddenly thought of it after the breakup." Truly laughed again. "So I took that tape to the park - remember that park? - and listened to it, just a few nights ago. At the time I thought regretfully that I would never see you again, but here I am..."

"妳竟然還留著那個啊 (You kept the tape)?" Taiyu smiled to himself.

Truly gasped, pretending to be offended.

"Hsu Taiyu!" She pushed him away in mock disgust. "你怎麼可以這樣說 (How could you say that)! 我當然留著啊 (Of course I kept it)! 你把我想成誰啊 (Who do you take me for)? 你知道嗎，我現在不怕你了 (You know, I'm not scared of you anymore)."

Taiyu placed a hand on top of her head just as Andy finished the song:

 _就算我會喝醉_ _(Even if I become drunk)  
就算我會心碎 __(Even if my heart breaks)  
不會看見我流淚 __(You won't see my tears fall)_

"傻瓜 (Silly)," Taiyu grinned, reminded of the times Truly would become flustered and start talking excessively.

"Taiyu," Andy said. "I've already found someone to cover for the rest of the night. 所以你們兩個就出去好好的玩一玩，好不好 (So you two just go out and have fun, okay)?

The two adults, who suddenly felt like they were transformed into teens again, both hesitated.

"It's already so late," Truly said.

"Are you sure, Andy?" Taiyu asked. "There's another show tomorrow morning, don't they need an extra hand wrapping things up?"

His boss ignored him.

"Truly, didn't you say you were having a rough week? And it's only 10:30. "

" _Only_?!" Truly said, incredulous. "I live so far away! 捷運要坐十五站，還有一次轉線耶 (Fifteen MRT stations, including a line transfer)!" She was now only making excuses for herself.

"那太宇待會送你回家 (Then Taiyu will send you home)," Andy responded with a mischievous smile.

"Andy, 你到底想幹嘛啊你 (What are you trying to do)?" Taiyu asked through his teeth.

He mentally thanked Andy for being possibly the best wingman, but at the same time cursed him because the night to come was still so unpredictable. From a young age (specifically, when his peers began calling him 老大/boss), Taiyu had hated being out of control of things. He thought he'd let go of the attitude as he allowed fate to tear him apart from his first love, only for it to return at their reunion. In his mind, Lin Truly was still the cheerful, innocent Andy Lau fangirl he had the privilege of meeting during his senior year. He could not bring himself to reconcile her as the woman she was now, with high heels and long hair and makeup that accentuated her natural beauty. He felt a sudden repulse for his aging self, who'd let all this time pass by without a proper goodbye to the past. He didn't like the fact that Truly seemed to have grown up (aside from her unfulfilled crush on Andy), yet he was still the same 18-year-old boy, only trapped in a semi-formal blazer and dress pants.

"你們兩個還站在這裡幹什麼 (What are the two of you still standing here for)?" Andy's playful remark broke his train of thought. "你們當我是一句話都沒說嗎 (Did you not hear a word I said)?"

"好啦好啦 (Okay, okay). 林真心，我送你回家 (Lin Truly, I'll send you home)."

"什麼送她回家啊 (What do you mean you'll send her home)? 附近有很多PUB耶 (There are lots of pubs nearby)!"

Truly was no longer sure how to react to Andy's suggestive comments. She knew she wasn't supposed to be blushing; she was an adult and had gone through this same scenario many times before when a man's friend would try to play cupid. But why did she feel stripped of her past experiences this time it happened?

"好啦，Andy (Okay, Andy). 我下次不幫你買珍奶了 (Next time I'm not going on a boba run for you)!"

* * *

It was a quiet jazz lounge, actually, not something Truly would ever use to describe Taiyu's personality. But of course, she had to keep telling herself, he's grown up and she shouldn't be viewing him as the delinquent he once was. From what she knew, he was working abroad, in tall buildings conducting business with foreign faces - the definition of success to any Taiwanese person. The type of man most Taiwanese women would willingly marry without knowing a thing about him.

"So are you and Ouyang still in touch?" he asked.

"Is that all you've been thinking about tonight?" Truly guessed, giggling.

"What? No! I've just never been to any high school reunions and felt like a bad friend for never meeting up with him, especially since -"

"Hsu Taiyu, chill!" Truly looked down at her feet in attempt to mask her laughter.

"喂 (Hey)! 妳閉嘴啦 (Shut up)!" He wrinkled his brow as he pushed her head back gently, catching a glimpse of her smile before it softened.

 _It feels good to know he's still his old hasteful self_ , Truly thought to herself.

"Oh right, why didn't you ever come to the reunions?"

Taiyu scoffed.

"You actually think I'm welcome at First High? Plus, I've been busy."

"Are you kidding me!" Truly exclaimed. "Not welcome? Tenth place for the mock exam! I'll always remember the anniversary ceremony as the day you became First High's hero."

"I think the hero was you that day, speaking out against the dean like that..." Taiyu mused. "I'm only a hero in name... Maybe if you were smarter you would have been tenth place, and the glory would be all yours."

"Hey! You know my math sucks to this day... Plus, nobody would accuse _me_ of cheating, Hsu Taiyu!"

"So you're saying, all these years, you never really believed I got to tenth place all by myself?"

"I never said -" Truly lifted her arm to hit Taiyu just as their drinks arrived. The two were now both grinning ear to ear.

Truly had felt foolish for insisting on getting two Taiwan Beers, because Taiyu had once told her, "If you've never drunk beer in your high school uniform, you'll regret it in the future," and she wanted to prove she had absolutely no regrets. Even the bartender had looked at them as if they were crazy ("Wait, let me check if we actually have that"). But now she was so glad she did. She cupped her hands around the tall glass of yellow liquid.

"It looks like pee," she commented.

"You're saying you drank piss before?" Taiyu asked, faking disgust.

"No! I just haven't drunk beer from a glass before. I always drink it from a can, so I didn't know it was _this_ pee-like."

Taiyu nearly choked as he sipped from his glass.

"Are you drinking enough water? Only dehydrated people have piss that's that yellow," he said with a roll of his eyes, but genuinely growing concerned for Truly's health. "By the way, you haven't answered my question. Are you still in contact with Ouyang? Maybe we should all meet and... Wait, he's not the overbearing guy you just broke up with, right?" He mentally cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid? They _were_ dating by the end of senior year, and even if the man she'd mentioned earlier hadn't been Ouyang, who was to say Truly didn't end on good terms with him either?

"Of course not!" Truly laughed. "Well, obviously he got into 台大 (National Taiwan University), became a lawyer that always wins cases because he can argue effectively without being overly aggressive... Oh, and he usually hosts the reunion for our graduating class. I mean, he turned out exactly how we all expected him to."

"What about Sakuraki?"

"Don't tell me you've lost contact with him as well!"

"He must hate me."

"You probably didn't know that Sakuraki's father is the boss of a big international corporation, right?" Truly asked, ignoring Taiyu's pessimism. "He was supposed to take over the position, but I guess he found it too hard to leave your memory behind. All our memories. So he became a PE teacher at First High, and let his little sister take over the company when their dad got too old."

"Are you sure he wasn't just too dumb and and his father was afraid he'd invest the company into bankruptcy?" Taiyu chuckled.

"What kind of way is that to speak about a person who hates you?"

"So he does hate me?"

"只是說一說嘛 (I'm just saying)..."

"What about... Minmin?"

"Umm... The same as Ouyang, I guess. 台大, and she became a psychologist with her own published books. I've read one and it's pretty good."

She didn't mention how the book was about the psychology of heartbreak in teenagers.

"You hesitated," Taiyu pointed out. "Did she say anything when I left?"

Truly didn't want to tell him that Minmin had cried for days, felt lied to and used. Hsu Taiyu had become infamous at First High (even more so than before, if that was even possible, because apart from being a troublemaker he had also become a heart breaker). Sakuraki and Da He had spent most of their time trying to defend their boss's name, but even as they began neglecting their schoolwork for the cause, the rumors and judgements would persist. After all, the most intimidating person at First High was gone for good, so there was no need for anyone to be afraid. Of course it all blew over when university results were out, but nothing could erase the fact that the bad aura during those last few months of senior year had once existed.

"She had the same reaction as me," she said simply, and it wasn't a lie. Most people didn't know, but the day Hsu Taiyu left First High (or, the time people realized he'd been skipping even more classes than usual), two girls' hearts were left shattered: that of Tao Minmin, and of course, that of Lin Truly.

"The same reaction as you?"

"Yeah, but that's all past."

"Okay." Taiyu didn't want to think about Truly's reaction, so he didn't probe further. If what she said was true, he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt, even if it _was_ all in the past. "It's getting late. I'll walk you to the station."

"No, wait."

"What?"

"I'm not done drinking my beer."

Truly's glass looked as if no one had drunk from it yet.

"The last train leaves in 30 minutes. If you don't go now, I'll have to drive you home."

"You can't drive me home; you've been drinking."

"妳覺得我是個酒量很差的人嗎 (Do I look like I can't handle my alcohol)?"

"What's the real reason you never tried reconnecting with the rest of us?" Truly asked between sips of her beer.

Taiyu glared at his own glass before gulping down the remainder of the beverage. How was he supposed to answer that question? There had been times when he'd considered searching up First High alumni up on social media, but stopped at the last minute, fearing what he'd find. Truly, Ouyang, Minmin, all married, or even worse, all not married at nearly 30. It's why he never referenced First High or Taiwan or his name in Chinese characters on any of his online profiles. He didn't want to be found, and didn't want to find anyone.

"I didn't know how to face everyone," he said at last. "Especially you."

He noticed that Truly's glass was now empty, not a single drop of beer spared. She searched her purse for something and pulled out a familiar tattered notebook, spine bent and pages yellowing. She placed it flat on the bar table and motioned for Taiyu to observe. As she flipped to the first page, he immediately remembered Truly at the roof, asking him to write down his personal and contact information on a new page. He saw Truly's birthday (April 19, as he still remembered), idol (Andy Lau, of course), the person she hated ("my brother")... but one section had been blocked by a sticker. Truly picked at the corner of the sticker with a manicured fingernail, and it came off easily as if it'd been removed multiple times over the years. What was now in its place was the answer to the questions Taiyu had asked himself for years:

 _喜歡の人：徐太宇_ _(Crush: Hsu Taiyu)_

* * *

 **Loyal followers & amazing reviewers: I'm so sorry this took so long. The last chapter was posted while I was on winter break, and it's finally summer break :/ Unfortunately I can't guarantee any more updates any time soon because I'm a rising junior, the year of all standardized testing :( But I'm genuinely thankful for all of your support! I wasn't sure if anyone would even read this fic, but I'm overjoyed that people are enjoying it.**

 **PS: Anyone watched Meteor Garden? The actor for adult Taiyu (Jerry Yan) was the male lead in that Taiwanese drama :) For those who've seen it, who do you think would win in a fight: Daoming Si or Hsu Taiyu ;) I'll let you guys know my answer at the next update!**


	3. Chapter 3 Preview!

**Hey guys! Sorry for deceiving you guys with an update... BUT HYPE IT UP Y'ALL YOU WON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WINTER BREAK FOR ANOTHER LEGIT CHAPTER! I've been working on another chapter and it's nearly done (although it's a bit shorter, because it's a short scene ahaha), and you can expect it to come up before September :) And to keep the story of Our Times fresh in your minds as you wait, I'd like to give you guys a preview! ANDDD answer last chapter's question, if anyone has actually watched Meteor Garden haha. Just me? Ah well then you can skip the first part hue (orrrr watch MG and then come back and read *wink* JUST KIDDING DRAMAS ARE ADDICTIVE AF AND EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT GOOD YOU STILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IT'S KINDA UNHEALTHY).**

* * *

 _Answer to last chapter's question:_

I think it really depends! If it's a competition of pure strength, I think Taiyu would win, honestly. He's kinda from the hood, you know? Although DMS is older, he's a rich boy, and Taiyu isn't (or at least not a prep who gets pampered all the time, since he can still afford to go to America, though I feel like he's significantly more independent and mentally mature than DMS despite his age). If you watch MG, you'll see DMS can get pretty violent at times but generally at school he pulls petty pranks like dumping water on people, destroying people's property, etc., whereas Taiyu is rumored to have done drugs, set fires, and killed people (I don't believe the last one LOL). In a way DMS is more innocent, and not as corrupted as Taiyu has become. I'm more scared of Taiyu, actually. I feel like I could take a beating from DMS, if I got a red sticker. I don't believe he would actually hurt me. But Taiyu seems really dangerous somehow, haha (I WOULD RUN). HOWEVER, if they were fighting for the safety of their respective girls (Truly & Shancai), maybe DMS would win. I think his innocence is actually a plus here. His love for Shancai is so pure that he would do anything to protect her, but Taiyu's values are kind of lopsided, and maybe he's disillusioned about love or just cynical (HE'S COMPLICATED). He would definitely still fight with all his might, but I think he's too emotionally charged and can easily get distracted. DMS is a simple guy, and he's probably only thinking of Shancai as he fights. In Taiyu's mind, of course there's the image of Truly, but there's also the image of her dying, the image of her disappointment, and all possible consequences of the fight. So yeah, in an emotionally driven fight, DMS would definitely be more focused (at least before MG2, but I usually don't view MG2 as cannon LOL because I don't like the idea of DMS having ever had feelings for Yesha).

* * *

 _Preview (it's Minmin's POV HYPEEEEEE):_

"YEAH! WHOO! HSU TAIYU, YOU LOSER!"

We unleashed the loose papers on the track and field, no longer caring for any consequences we might face later on. After all, we were seniors!

"HOPE YOU HAVE FUN IN AMERICA! KNOWING HOW MUCH YOUR ENGLISH SUCKS, I HOPE YOU WON'T SURVIVE A DAY THERE!"

"AND THAT DOG WE HAD TOGETHER? STOP DENYING THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK CARE OF ALL THE PISS AND CRAP AND SPENT MONEY ON ALL THE FREAKING DOGGIE SNACKS!"

"Wait, you guys had a dog together?"

The story sounded strangely familiar and I felt the tears well up in my eyes. I didn't know why I was crying until the image of Ouyang popped up in my head. That puppy... Oh, that poor thing...

"Oh right... I guess I can tell you now. Taiyu and I kidnapped that dog in order to split you and Ouyang up."

I instinctively pushed Truly into the field.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!"

* * *

 **Heehh yeppp some parts are a bit more humorous, and I think that's important in keeping the readers from getting too depressed xD I'll have a bit more fluff coming up but be warned that for some reason I am much better at writing deep emotions and angst... as much as I want to write cute scenes. Heh. Stay tuned! much love :3**


	4. 3 Freedom and Lo Mei

**Just felt like Minmin deserved some closure after getting ditched by Taiyu ahah... Ugh I KNOW this chapter isn't my best work, and that the first chapter was probably the most in character, but it's been a while since I've watched _Our Times_ , and we don't really get to know that much about Minmin anyway (which are definitely not good excuses...). I'll definitely be coming back and revising this part, but I just wanted to give the readers a bit of Truly/Minmin friendship, especially as summer is coming to an end and I'm about to enter the warzone that is junior year RIP wish me luck guys**

* * *

He left just like that. He'd played me, and then just left. But what's worse is that I'd played myself. I'd told myself I had a chance with him when it was clear he only had eyes for Lin Truly, and now I've probably ruined it for everyone.

"陶敏敏，妳還好吧 (Tao Minmin, are you okay)?" Of all people, Lin Truly was the one to approach me after I told everyone to leave me alone. Logically speaking I was supposed to lash out, to scream at her that this was all her fault. But for some reason, I found Truly to be my only solace. My other friends could comfort me all they wanted, but none understood quite as she did. I had the sudden urge to spill my guts out to her, and to have her do the same to me.

The classroom had long since cleared out and I was at my desk, mindlessly punching the buttons on my BB Call, when I realized Truly hadn't left either (her seat was in the back while mine was in the very middle). She finished packing, and just as I thought she was going to leave from the back door, she came around the longest route possible and sat down at the desk next to mine.

"I'm fine," I answered her. "Thanks for asking. It means a lot."

I could tell she was surprised by my response because she didn't seem to know how to go on.

"我的心是真的碎了，可是我還是需要對你道個歉 (My heart is really broken, but I still feel the need to apologize to you)," I continued.

Truly smiled kindly.

"現在先不要講這個啦 (Let's not talk about that now)," she said.

"I still feel like I took the one thing you had away from you!" I blurted.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she laughed. "I still have a lot of things! Like... 華仔 (Waa Zai, Andy Lau)! And there are still so many more tests to prepare for. How could I have time to think about any of that?"

Truly's optimism, whether faked or genuine, was always something I envied of the so-called "ordinary" girls. For them, they could be as easily pleased as they wanted. They didn't have to keep up an image. Of course that's only from my perspective - I'm sure it's awful to live in the shadow of someone else. But for them things were just simpler. Without anything to expect, they're always prepared for what may be around the corner, and I see them as some of the strongest people to live.

"Anyway, there's actually a math problem I've been struggling with for a while now. Even Ouyang couldn't figure it out! Can you believe it? I thought maybe you'd know how to solve it."

I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to distract me, and I knew it wouldn't work. I wasn't as strong as her. But something told me to accept her gesture of friendship. After all, I wasn't the only one shaken from this experience.

"Let me take a look," I said, smiling.

Truly fumbled with her bag, and I noticed that she had twice the amount of textbooks than a typical student. She pulled a few out and I quickly put two and two together - half of them were Taiyu's books. I'd heard something about Truly having offended Taiyu, and him making her his slave as retaliation. After becoming close friends, he still forced her to do his homework for him? He was despicable! Just thinking about it made my blood boil. I eyed the textbooks with fury, wishing I could just set them ablaze along with all the memories of Hsu Taiyu.

"陶敏敏，妳不要誤會了喔 (Tao Minmin, please don't misunderstand)!" she said, again with that carefree laugh. I'd deduced that it was about as real as Ouyang saying that he cheated on the mock exam. "是他把全部的題目做完，把課本借給我當參考的啦 (He finished all the questions and lent me the books to check answers lah). 是真的 (Really)! 你可以看裡面，全都是他超醜的字，快要看不懂了 (You can look inside, it's all his awful handwriting; barely readable)!"

"我知道，我有收到他的情書 (I know, I've received his love letters)."

"Oh... Hey! Half of the answers are wrong anyway, so let's rip up all of his books, okay?"

"That's a bit petty, though, isn't it?" I couldn't resist the slight tug at my lips.

"Of course! That's the point, Minmin. Even if Hsu Taiyu can't see us right now, we need to let everyone know that we're totally done with him, right? Let everyone know we're not afraid anymore."

On the outside, Truly seems like a silly, idealistic girl, but it was then that I realized her life philosophies were among the most accurate. Perhaps the simpler the mind, the more clear it is. Truly is someone who _truly_ understands how to live life.

"That's right!" I said with equal fervor. "He has no place in First High anymore! We'll rip his existence to shreds!"

Truly laughed at my aggressiveness. As the class president, I always felt like I was a mother goose, taking care of all the other girls in our class. It felt good to have someone like Truly, who watched my back and cared for my like a mother when I needed it.

* * *

"YEAH! WHOO! HSU TAIYU, YOU LOSER!"

We unleashed the loose papers on the track and field, no longer caring for any consequences we might face later on. After all, we were seniors!

"HOPE YOU HAVE FUN IN AMERICA! KNOWING HOW MUCH YOUR ENGLISH SUCKS, I HOPE YOU WON'T SURVIVE A DAY THERE!"

"AND THAT DOG WE HAD TOGETHER? STOP DENYING THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK CARE OF ALL THE PISS AND CRAP AND SPENT MONEY ON ALL THE FREAKING DOGGIE SNACKS!"

"Wait, you guys had a dog together?"

The story sounded strangely familiar and I felt the tears well up in my eyes. I didn't know why I was crying until the image of Ouyang appeared in my head. That puppy... Oh, that poor thing...

"Oh right... I guess I can tell you now. Taiyu and I kidnapped that dog in order to split you and Ouyang up."

I instinctively pushed Truly into the field.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!"

"Tao Minmin! Don't you get it? We can raise the puppy together now!"

"That's true... I'm sorry, I was too impulsive."

I helped her up and we continued spreading the pages of the textbooks like protesters at a rally.

"THAT'S RIGHT! BOYS SUCK AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF ANIMALS!"

Obviously none of what we said that day had really been true, but it was the sense of freedom I felt from it that counted. For that moment, I forgot about my studies and my unfulfilled high school romance, and the social pressure of the girl with a perfect life. I forgot who I was expected to be, and remembered who I was supposed to be.

Soon we grew paranoid that the dean was going to catch us littering all over campus, so we decided to leave school and have dinner. I'll be honest, I mostly ate at home because my mom was convinced that outside food was fattening and damaging to the brain. The first part I could understand (food won't sell unless it's greasy and delicious), but I don't believe restaurants can actually make you dumb. So I let Truly take the lead, and eventually she settled on a 滷味 (lou mei) place (a place that sells various braised street foods).

"This one's really good!" she said. "But you've probably never eaten something like this. I mean, your body is amazing. I'm sure you keep up a great diet unlike the rest of us ordinary girls." She laughed. "It's good to indulge every once in a while, you know!"

"I'm excited," I replied. "My body is just a part of the image my parents try to keep up for me. I really couldn't care less about it! I can't believe how much I've missed out; it smells amazing here."

"You don't think it stinks?" Truly asked. "I thought life-long vegetarians gag at even the smell of meat, because they've never eaten it and they're not used to it."

"Well, I'll tell you a secret. I once roamed into a 鐵板燒 (teppanyaki) place and ate a whole steak myself. It was heavenly."

We sat down at one of the only two tables in the store (most customers ordered take-out) and Truly didn't even bother getting an order form.

"老闆，全部都來一份吧 (Boss, I'll have one of everything)!" she called out.

"好的 (Sure thing)!" the owner called back, and within seconds there was a large plate with all sorts of delicacies laid in an effortless arrangement.

"老闆，有白飯嗎 (Boss, is there plain white rice)?" Truly asked.

The owner came over without a word and set down two paper bowls of rice. We thanked him and he nodded in response.

"Are there utensils?" I asked Truly quietly.

"Yep, they're in the back. I'll go get them."

She left and returned with two sets of disposable chopsticks, still in their thin plastic wrapping. Truly opened one up and broke the chopsticks apart, rubbing them together to get rid of any splinters. I tried to do the same, but the chopsticks wouldn't budge.

"沒用過免洗筷啊 (You've never used disposable chopsticks)?" she asked. "重點是要很快的把他們拆開，就像剝香蕉不能剝的太慢 (The important part is to do it in one swift motion, just like how you can't peel a banana too slowly)."

I mimicked her described motion, but still couldn't do it right.

"Just imagine it's Taiyu's heart your ripping apart," Truly smirked. "At least that's what I did."

Her trick worked, and soon I was savoring the saltiness of the soy sauce-marinated intestines, eggs, and pig blood cakes. My family would call this "living below our standards," but I wondered how they could consider themselves Taiwanese if they would not even touch this part of its culture. Lou mei, stinky tofu, and night markets were all things they intentionally kept me away from since I can recall.

"Thanks for everything, Truly," I said. "Not just for talking to me about that pighead, Taiyu, but bringing me out for this experience. Gosh, I wish I could just live like this every day."

"Haha, it's no problem, Minmin!" Truly answered between bites. I loved how casual she was. "Well, soon you'll be a college student and you'll have no choice but to live like a poor person!" she laughed. "I'm just kidding. But I'm sure your parents will understand the importance of letting you be independent soon enough."

"My cousins are all in their twenties and living off of my aunts and uncles..." I was pretty sure there was no hope for me ever disentangling myself from this mess of a family.

"Then you'll just have to fight and show your capabilities," she encouraged. "I'm here backing you up, always."

* * *

Once I got home, I looked for the school directory and searched up Truly's home phone number. I dialed, and within one ring someone picked up.

"又是你 (You again)!" came a woman's voice. "你以為我還不知道你每一天八點半都會打來打擾我們家嗎 (You think I still haven't figured it out? You call here every day at exactly 8:30 PM just to bother us)!"

I heard Truly's voice in the distance.

"媽，不是他啦 (Mom, it's not him lah)," she said. "他再也不會打電話來我們家了，妳別擔心 (He'll never call here again, so don't worry)."

"林媽媽好，我是真心的同學陶敏敏 (Hello, Ms. Lin, I'm Truly's classmate, Tao Minmin)," I began.

"是喔，不好意思啦，真是不好意，我現在把電話交給她 (Oh, is that so! I'm terribly sorry, it's my bad. I'll hand over the phone immediately)."

I heard the phone click off and back on from another location.

"Hey, Minmin," she whispered. "Sorry about my mom, lah."

"Taiyu used to call you every day?" I didn't know what I was getting jealous for.

"Just to check answers and set up study dates," she answered.

Immediately I imagined Taiyu and Truly checking answers over the phone, saying in unison, "A, D, B, B, D, C, A, C, C, A..." and laughing each time their letters didn't match before each defending their answers. It shouldn't have been so infuriating, but for some reason it was.

"What'd you call me for?" she asked from the other end.

"I wanted to say goodnight, and thank you again. I really do feel much better now."

There was a sudden sincerity in Truly's voice. Not that she wasn't always sincere, but I guess I mean it was a serious type of sincere rather than a cheery one.

"I know what you're going through is hard. Trust me, I _know_. But I realized it's better to cherish past memories than to associate them with feelings of regret. Don't try to deny what once was; embrace it for how wonderful it had been. I'm sure in the future we'll have nothing but happy memories about high school, right?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. She sounded like my youngest aunt, spewing philosophy about how when you get older, you realize what you'd once been upset about is nothing compared to how happy you'd been. But deep down I knew they were both right. Instead of viewing my foolish actions with disgust, I should be happy I'd even confessed to Taiyu. After all, we'd shared plenty of unforgettable memories.

"Okay," I said. "We should do this again, with more friends."

"Yeah. No camping though, did you see our photo show up on that creepy talk show?"

"Yeah, my gosh. Let's just agree to not take photos this time."

"Mhm, good night Minmin."

"Good night."

* * *

 **SORRY FOR TAIYU BASHING X3 Of course Truly and Minmin don't actually hate him; it's just that in the heat of the moment they get way ahead of themselves. He is still adorable though ugh**


	5. Chapter 4 Preview!

**Dear Readers,**  
 **Why do I always write right before my exams... -_- BUT some people mentioned they'd like to know how Taiyu is doing in the States! So that's what the next chapter is about... here's a PREVIEW! The chapter will probably be up within the month, before I start cramming for APs~ Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ty, are you taking anyone to the prom? Ty?"

Taiyu, or Ty, as he'd become known at his new school, didn't bother to move from his repose in a chair at the back of the classroom, although he heard the girl whisper.

"No," he replied, not bothering to lower his voice.

Taiyu was the oldest senior at Grant Kelly High School at nearly 20 years old, because 1.) he'd repeated 10th grade in Taiwan, and 2.) his father had insisted he drop a year when he'd first moved to the states from Taiwan, to allow him time to adjust to a new environment. But now, he wanted nothing more to just get out of a place that only brought negative memories. American high school wasn't supposed to be so similar to Taiwanese high school; that was the whole point of starting anew, wasn't it? But it was exactly the same, just the people seemed more experienced in the romantic sphere. Just a reminder of what he was once so close to, but not close enough still.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to, Julia."

Taiyu knew that Julia liked him. It was obvious. And he supposed he liked her, too, because she was pretty. But he just wished Truly would have been as straightforward as Julia. But that would have made her easy. Taiyu didn't know if he would have fallen for Truly if she'd been _easy_.

"Come on, Ty! Well, you're at least going, right?"


End file.
